Leadership Lessons from the 6th Grade

Good Leaders Know Who They Are and Have the Right Heart

How would you have described a leader when you were in the 6^th grade? I cringe when I think what I would likely have said…things like, “gets to tell other people what to do”, “doesn’t have to listen to anybody else”, “makes the most money”, and “speaks in front of groups of people”.

Jeanie Coca decided she wanted her 6^th grade class at Friends Christian Middle School in Yorba Linda, CA to see leadership differently.

First, she recognized that most of her students didn’t see themselves as potential leaders. They couldn’t picture themselves doing the things they believed leaders had to do. Mrs. Coca decided it was time for them to learn that leadership doesn’t start with what you do – it starts with who you are.

“Our ideas about leadership start to form at a very young age”, says Coca, “and those ideas inform our leadership and management styles long into our careers.  They’re harder to break as we get older, so I wanted to get these students off to a good start.”

Building on the principle that, good leaders know who they are and have the right heart, Mrs. Coca added these categories of leadership traits:

• Take Responsibility
• Do the right thing
• Help others be successful
• Have courage to try

Just Ask a 6th Grader

Each of the twenty students put their further refinements of these concepts on magnetic cards on the whiteboard. Working together, they sorted, discussed, prioritized, and refined their ideas until they came up with common definitions and a unified understanding of the key traits of a leader. Here’s what they settled on:

• Have a kind mindset
• Admit when they are wrong
• Lead by listening to others
• Influence others to become a leader
• Help others persevere
• Work with All!
• Lead with optimism & positivity
• Include everyone!

Mrs. Coca observed, “It was great to see the things these students chose. They all felt they were part of the process and owned the results. For most students, the key take-away was recognizing their own potential to lead in different ways.”

Leading Already

These 6th graders are already being good leaders by helping the rest of us remember the real foundations of good leadership.

Congratulations to the class for a job well-done and to Mrs. Coca for her leadership!